Fruit-bearing shrubs provide delicious edible fruit without the excessive space requirement of a tree. These shrubs are a versatile addition to your landscape by not only producing fruit but also acting as a hedge, fence or barrier. When choosing which shrub to grow, consider the needs of your garden and the planting requirements of the shrub.
Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and blackberry bushes (Rubus fruticosa) are also known as brambles, which are a prickly shrub in the Rubus genus that -- depending on the type -- grow in U. S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10. Brambles grow well in sunny locations and can tolerate various soil compositions as long as it is well drained. Brambles growing in soggy soils are likely to develop phytophthora root rot. Raspberry cultivars are categorized by when they bear fruit -- either summer-bearing or fall-bearing -- and the color of fruit they produce. For example, “Killarney” and “Newburgh Taylor” are both summer-bearing red raspberries while “Goldie” and “Fall Gold” are fall-bearing yellow raspberries. Blackberries, on the other hand, are split into two categories: thorny or thornless. “Shawnee” and “Darrow” are thorny blackberry bushes while “Black Satin” and “Chester” are thornless.
Dwarf Fruit-Bearing Shrubs
Dwarf fruit-bearing shrubs are the ideal for gardens with limited space. “Tomlinson” Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa “Tomlinson”) is a dwarf shrub reaching about 2 feet tall in USDA zones 10 through 11. This sun-loving evergreen has leathery leaves and small thorns covering its branches. Its fruit has a wine-red color and can be used in jelly, pies or eaten straight from the branches. “Sunshine Blue” blueberry (Vaccinium x “Sunshine Blue”) is a semi-dwarf fruit-bearing shrub that reaches about 3 to 4 feet tall. It grows in USDA zones 5 through 10 and has a low chill requirement. “Sunshine Blue” is not only grown for its tasty berries, it also has attractive hot pink to creamy white blooms and bluish green foliage. For a low-growing shrub that produces edible fruit, consider “Red Pearl” lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea “Red Pearl”). This evergreen shrub reaches only 12 to 18 inches tall and makes a wonderful spreading groundcover in USDA zones 3 through 9. Its large berries ripen in late summer and early fall, and have a sweetly acidic taste.
Tropical Fruit-Bearing Shrubs
Tropical fruit-bearing shrubs grow in warm, tropical climates and include the fig, certain citrus species and guava. “Black Jack” fig (Ficus carica “Black Jack”) grows in USDA zones 7 through 9, reaching heights of 15 feet. However, this small tree or shrub can be pruned to about 6 feet tall if needed. In the summer, “Black Jack” produces purple, elongated fruit that has a sweet taste. It grows best in full sun, is deer-resistant and tolerates seacoast exposure. Calamondin (X Citrofortunella mitis) grows in partial to full sun in USDA zones 9 through 11 with a columnar shape. This evergreen shrub produces fragrant blooms and small, sour, orange fruit that can be used for preserves. Calamondin reaches about 10 to 15 feet tall and works well as a hedge shrub. Pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana) produces edible flowers and fruit in USDA zones 8 through 10. This evergreen shrub can reach 10 to 15 feet tall in full sun.
Gooseberries and Currants
Gooseberries and currants were once a popular fruit-bearing shrub until the early 1900s when the government outlawed the growing of these plants. Thankfully, this ban was lifted in the 1960s. Gooseberries and currants are members of the Ribes genus and grow in USDA zones 5 through 8. Currents can be separated into categories based on the characteristics of the fruit. For example, red currants have red, pink, yellow, beige or white fruit that will continue to sweeten even after it reaches its full color. White currants are a type of red currant and produce large, mildly flavored berries that are pale yellow. American gooseberries (Ribes hirtellum) and European gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa) are the only types of gooseberry bushes.
- University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program: Growing Brambles
- National Gardening Association: Edible Shrubs for your Landscape
- Fine Gardening: 8 Trees and Shrubs with Showy Fall Fruit
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension: Eating Fruit from Ornamental Trees & Shrubs
- Cornell University Department of Horticulture: Gooseberries and Currants
- National Gardening Association: Currants and Gooseberries
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